Washing machine



Feb. 4, 1958 D. HAYs 2521340 WASHING MACHINE Filed June 17, 1952 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 4, 1958 DDDD Ys 2,821,840

FIG. 6

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 D. HAYS WASHING MACHINE Feb. 4, 1958 Filed June 17,1952 INVENTOR.

FIG. 7

United States Patent WASHING MACI-IINE David Hays, Bridgeport, Conn.

Application June 17, 1952, Serial No. 294,098

9 Claims. (Cl. 60-54.5)

This` invention is intended to provide a hydraulic drive for anoscillatory washing machine agitator. The drive can be used .for linearor angular oscillation and can form part of the transmission of a singletub washer and dryer of the centrifugal extractor type.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly broken away, of a washing machine of thesingle tub washer and dryer type.

Fig. 2 is a section through the agitator and spinner basket drive.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3- 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4- 4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 isa section through an arrangement for varying the agitatorstroke.

Fig. 7 is a section through a modification in which the oscillation ofthe agitator is linear instead of angular.

In Fig. 1 isdiagr-ammatically shown a single tub Washer and dryer havingan external tub 1 within which is mounted a perforate spinner basket 2and an angularly oscillating agitator 3. During washing, the spinnerbasket remains stationary land the agitator 3 is oscillated. At theend'of washing, the water is drained from the tub 1 and the spinnerbasket 2 is rotated to centrifugally dry the clothes. The constructionso far described is or may be of common construction.

As shown in Fig. 2 the spinner basket is fixed to a sleeve 4, whichdepends through and is journaled in a bearing 5 fixed on the bottom wallof the tub 1. At the upper end of the sleeve is fixed a bearing 6 for anagitator shaft 7. On the inside of the basket there is also anotherbearing 8 for the agitator shaft. During washing, the spinner basket isheld stationary by a brake 10 which grips the outer surface of thesleeve 4. During centrifugal drying, the brake 10 is released and thespinner basket 2 is driven through .a coil sprin'g clutch 11 inside thesleeve 4. The power for driving the washingV machine is obtained from areversible motor 12 having' a sha-ft 13 connected by an over-runningclutch 14 to a drive pulley 15, which drives a pulley 16 pinned to avertical shaft 17 when the motor rotates in the directionto causedrivingengagement of the clutch 14 with the pulley 15. When the motorruns in the reverse direction the pulley is free on the shaft 13 andthereis a direct chain drive from a sprocket 18 pinned to' the shaft 13to a sprocket 19 connected to the shaft 17 through an over-runningclutch 20. The overrunning clutches 14 and 20 are oppositely arranged sothat when the clutch 14 is in driving engagement with the pulley 15, theclutch 20 is loose with respect to the shaft 17. The clutches 14 and 20permit high speed rotation of the shaft 17 for centrifugal drying andvlow` speed rotationof the shaft 17 for operation of the agitator by theexpedient of Ichanging the direction of rotation of the-drivingmotor'12.

The-ioscillating drive:` for the. agitator 3 is efected by means=of apump rotor A21.fixed to the shaft 17 and'rotatingin arpump charn'bert22`(Fig..3.). The pumpurotor-has aspringipressed vane'23 which sweepsthe'inside walls ECC of the pump Chamber and forces the oil ahead of thevane. The main body of the pump rotor has a running Clearance withinwardly extending projections 24 and 25 at opposite sides of the pumpChamber, which divide the pump Chamber into two compartments' orchambers 26 and 27. Above the pump Chamber is a plate 28 havingdiametrically opposite ports 29 and 30 located respectively at the endsof the chambers 26 land 27 as regards the direction of rotation of thepump rotor 21. The ports 29 and 30 communicate with a cylinder 31 havingtherein a vane piston 32 fixed to the lower end of the agitator shaft 7.As the vane 23 on the pump rotor approaches the port 29 in the plate 28,the oil is forced up through the plate and causes the vane piston 32 tobe moved toward the port 30. This movement of the vane piston 32 towardthe port 30 forces oil back down into the compartment 27 so that whenthe vane 23 passes the projection 24 the compartment 27 is full and inCondition to force oil back up through the port 30 and thereby causereverse movement of the vane piston 32. With this arrangement there isaccordingly one complete oscillation of the vane piston 32 at eachrevolution of the pump rotor 21. The amplitude of the oscillationdepends upon the ratio of the volume of the compartments 26 and 27 tothe volume of the cylinder 31. By adjusting the volume of the cylinder31, the stroke or amplitude of oscillation of the agitator can be setwithin wide limits. The stroke can also be varied by the volume of oil,the stroke being shorter if the oil is partly drained.

At the end of the washing Operation, the brake 10 which held the spinnerbasket 2 stationary during Washing is released and the motor 12 isreversed thereby establishing a drive through the pulleys 15 and 16which Causes a higher speed rotation of the shaft 17 in the oppositedirection from the direction of rotation during oscillation of theagitator. Under these conditions, the spinner basket is driven throughthe coil Spring clutch 11 which acts in the same manner as theover-running clutches 14 and 20 in that it drives only in one directionand runs free in the reverse direction. The coil spring clutches arewell understood and need not be further illustrated. The pump rotor 21which provides the fluid drive for the agitator rotates with the pumpChamber 22 during centrifugal drying so that there is no relativemovement between the pump rotor and the pump Chamber and accordingly nooscillation of the agitator.

n Fig. 6 is shown an arrangement for varying the agitator stroke. As waspointed out in connection with the description of Figs. 2 to 5,inclusive, the stroke of the agitator depends upon'the relative volumeof the compartments 26 and 27 and of the cylinder 31. That is for agiven volume of oil discharged upwardly through the port 29 the vanepiston moves an angular distance sufficient to accommodate that volumeof oil. With the arrangement shown in vFig. 6, an auxiliary reservoir37a is provided for receiving part of the oil forced upward through theport 29. Accordingly, the vane piston 32 moves an angular distance suchthat the volume of oil between it and the port 29 plus the volume of oilin the auxili'ary reservoir is equal to the volume of oil forced upthrough the port 29. By having the auxiliary reservoir of variablevolume the stroke of the agitator can be Varied.

In order to provide the variable volume reservoir which can Vary thestroke or amplitude of oscillation of the agitator 3, the agitator shaft7 is bored at 33 and is threaded at 34 to receive a shaft 35, whichextends out the upper end of -the agitator and is provided with a handle36 by means of which it can be threaded into and out of the bore 33. Thelower end of the shaft 35'communicatestthrough a way 37 in the agitatorshaft 7 with an annulargroove 38 which is connected by a way 39 directlyabove the port 29. When the shaft 35 is threaded clear to the bottom.the atzitator oscillates through its full stroke. As the shaft 35 isthreaded out of the agitator shaft 7. the stroke is decreased and caneasily be cut to half of the full stroke.

In the washing machine so far described the agitators 3 have beenangularlv oscillated. There are washing machine aaitators which arelinearlv oscillated or reciorcr cated verticallv up and down toward thebottom of the tub. Tn Fia. 6 the invention is shown aonlied to a Washingmachine having such a linearly oscillatine agitator. This agitatorcomorises a cup shape disc 40 adiacent the bottom of the soinner basket211 and fixed to the verticallv reciorocable agitator shaft 7a.

Except for the drive for the vertically recinrocating agitator` theconstruction in Fig. 7 is very similar to the construction in Fig. 2.The soinner basket 211 has a dependina sleeve 411 which is ionrnaled ina bearingy 511 yieldably supported from the bottom of the tub .111 by arubber grommet Lb. The vertical reciorocation of the agitator shaft 711is guided bv a bearing 811. During washinc. the spinner basket is heldstationarv bv a brake 1011. The drive for the washing machine is obtanedfrom a reversible motor 1211 having a belt drive 15a, 1611. to a driveshaft 1711, there being an over-running clutch 1411 between the pulley1511 and the motor shaft 1311, which makes the pulley 1511 loose on theshaft 1311 when the motor 1211 runs in one direction. There also is achain and spro-cket drive 1811, 1911 to the power shaft 1711 through anover-running clutch 2011, which is oppositely arranged to theover-running clutch 1411 so that one of the clutches is engaged and theother is loose.

The drive to the spinner basket 211 for centrifugal extracting isthrough the pulleys 1511, 1611 and a coil Spring clutch 1111 to a sleeve411. The coil Spring clutch 1111, like the over-running clutches 1411,2011 runs free in one direction of rotation and engages in the other.When the drive is in the centrifugal extracting position, there isdirect drive from the motor shaft 1311 through the pulleys 1511, 1611and the clutch 1111 to the spinner basket 211.

During washing, the motor 1211 runs in the reverse direction and theover-running clutch 1411 is loose while the over-running clutch 2011 isengaged. This causes rotation of a pump rotor 21 in a chamber 22 whichhas the identical construction shown in Fig. 3. Directly above the pumprotor is a plate 2311 having diametrically opposite ports 2911, 3011.The plate 2811 is integral with a vertical cylinder 40 containing apiston 41 fixed to the lower end of the agitator shaft 7a. As the pumprotor 21 rotates the vane 23 sweeps around and alternately forces liquidup through the ports 2911, 3011. That is during one-half revolution ofthe pump rotor 21 oil is forced up through the port 2911 and during theother half revolution of the rotor 21 oil is forced up through the port3011. Since the ports 2911 and 3011 are always connected to the pumpingChamber while oil is being forced up through one of the ports it is freeto drain down through the other. Since the port 2911 is connectedthrough a way 42 with the upper side of the piston 41 and the port 3011is connected by a way 43 with the lower side of the piston 41 it can beseen that the piston 41 will alternately be moved up and down therebyimparting a vertical reciprocation to the agitator. The speed ofreciprocation of the piston 41 is determined by the speed of rotation ofthe shaft 1711. During one complete revolution of the shaft 1711 thepiston 41 goes through one complete up and down oscillation. The strokethrough which the piston 41 is reciprocated is determined by the volumeof the purnping Chamber as compared to the volume of the cylinder 40.

In the use of the machine, during washing the brake 1011 is held engagedholding the spinner basket 211 stationary, and the shaft 1711 is driventhrough the sprockets 1811, 19a causing a vertical reciprocaton of theagitator at the speed equal to the speed of rotation of the shaft 41711. At the end of the washing, the brake 1011 is released and themotor 12a reversed to complete a direct drive to the spinner basketthrough the pulleys 1511, 1611 and the clutch 1111, which grips thesleeve 4a connected to the spinner basket.

What I claim as new is:

1. In an oscillatory drive, a rotatable power shaft, means for rotatingthe power shaft, a pair of liquid filled chambers on opposite sides ofthe power shaft, a liquid delivery port leading from each chamber,piston means for the chambers, a drive from the power shaft to thepiston means actuating the piston means toward one of the delivery portsduring part of the revolution of the power shaft and then toward theother of the delivery ports during the balance of the revolution of thepower shaft to force liquid out first through said one of the liquiddelivery ports and then through the other of the delivery ports, adriven shaft, a piston on the driven shaft, a cylinder surrounding thedriven shaft piston, a passage connecting one of the port to one side ofthe driven shaft piston, and a passage connecting the other of the portsto the other side of the driven shaft piston.

2. In an oscillatory drive, a rotatable power shaft, means for rotatingthe power shaft, a pair of liquid filled chambers on opposite Sides ofthe power shaft, each chamber having a port, a pump rotor on the powershaft sweeping into first one and then the other of the chambers toforce liquid out through first one and then the other of the portsduring each revolution of the power shaft, a driven shaft, a piston onthe driven shaft, a cylinder surrounding the driven shaft piston, apassage connecting one of the ports to one side of the driven shaftpiston, and a passage connecting the other of the ports to the otherside of the driven shaft piston.

3. In an oscillatory drive, a rotatable power shaft, means for rotatingthe power shaft, a pair of liquid filled chambers on opposite sides ofthe power shaft, each charnber having a port, a pump rotor on the powershaft sweeping into first one and then the other of the chambers toforce liquid out through first one and then the other of the portsduring each revolution of the power shaft, a driven shaft, a piston onthe driven shaft, a cylinder surrounding the driven shaft piston, apassage connecting one of the ports to one side of the driven shaftpiston, a cavity in the driven shaft, a passage leading from said oneside of the driven shaft piston to the cavity,

. an adjustable member extending out through the top of the driven shaftand extending into the cavity to an adjustable extent for varying thevolume of the cavity and thereby varyng the stroke of the driven shaft,and a passage connecting the other of the ports to the other side of thedriven shaft piston.

4. In an oscillatory drive, a rotatable power shaft, means for rotatingthe power shaft, a pair of liquid filled chambers on opposite sides ofthe power shaft, each chamber having a port, a pump piston, drivingmeans between the power shaft and the pump piston for moving the pistonduring each revolution of the power shaft toward first one and then theother of the ports to force liquid alternately out first through saidone of the ports and then through said other of the ports, a drivenshaft, a piston on the driven shaft, a cylinder surrounding the drivenshaft piston, a passage connecting one of the ports to one side of thedriven shaft piston, and a passage connecting the other of the ports tothe other side of the driven shaft piston.

5. In an oscillatory drive, a rotatable power shaft, means for rotatingthe power shaft, a pair of liquid filled chambers on opposite sides ofthe power shaft, each Chamber having a port, a pump piston, drivingmeans between the power shaft and the pump piston for moving the pistonduring each revolution of the power shaft toward first one end then theother of the ports to force liquid alternately out first through saidone of the ports and then through said other of the ports, a verticallyreciprocable driven shaft, a piston on the driven shaft, a cylindersurrounding the driven shaft piston, a passage connecting one of theports to one side of the driven shaft piston, and a passage connectingthe other of the ports to the other side of the driven shaft piston.

6. In a drive, oscillatory driven shaft means, rotatable driven shaftmeans, a rotatable power shaft, means for alternatively rotating thepower shaft at the speed of oscillation of the oscillatory driven shaftmeans and at the speed of rotation of the rotatable driven shaft means,-a pump chamber having a pair of liquid filled chambers on oppositesides of the power shaft, each liquid filled chamber having a port,means rotatably supporting the pump chamber, a brake for holding thepump chamber stationary, a rotary pump piston, a drive between therotary pump piston and the power shaft for sweeping the pump piston intofirst one and then the other of the lquid filled chambers to forceliquid out through first one and then the other of the ports during eachrevolution of the power shaft, a drive for the oscillatory driven shaftmeans comprising a cylinder, a driven shaft piston in the cylinder, apassage connecting one of the ports to one side of the driven shaftpiston and a passage connecting the other of the ports to the other sideof the driven shaft piston, and a drive for the rotatable shaft meanscomprising a clutch from the power shaft to the rotatable shaft means.

7. In a drive, oscillatory driven shaft means, rotatable driven shaftmeans, a rotatable power shaft, the shaft means and the power shaftbeing concentric and the power shaft being below the oscillatory drivenshaft means, means for alternatively rotating the power shaft at thespeed of oscillation of the oscillatory driven shaft means and at thespeed of rotation of the rotatable driven shaft means, a pump chamberhaving a pair of liquid filled chambers on opposite sides of the powershaft, each liquid filled chamber having an upwardly directed port,means rotatably supporting the pump chamber, a brake for holding thepump chamber stationary, a rotary pump piston, a drive between therotary pump piston and the power shaft for sweeping the pump piston intofirst one and then the other of the liquid filled ch'ambers to forceliquid out through first one and then the other of the ports during eachrevolution of the power shaft, a drive for the oscillatory driven shaftmeans comprising a cylinder above the pump chamber, a driven shaftpiston in the cylinder, a passage connecting one of the ports to oneside of the driven shaft piston and a passage connecting the other ofthe ports to the other side of the driven shaft piston, and a drive forthe rotatable shaft means comprising a clutch from the power shaft tothe rotatabie shaft means.

8. In an oscillatory drive, a rotatable power shaft, means for rotatingthe power shaft, a pair of liquid filled chambers on opposite sides ofthe power shaft, each chamber having an upwardly directed port, a pumppiston, driving means between the power shaft and the ptunp piston formoving the piston during each revolution of the power shaft toward firstone and then the other of the ports to force liquid alternately outfirst through said one of the ports and then through said other of theports, a vertically reciprocable driven shaft above and concentric withthe power shaft, a piston on the driven shaft, a cylinder surroundingthe driven shaft piston, a passage connecting one of the ports to oneside of the driven shaft piston, and a passage connecting the other ofthe ports to the other side of the driven shaft piston.

9. n an oscillatory drive, a rotatable power shaft, means for rotatingthe power shaft, a pair of liquid filled chambers on opposite sides ofthe power shaft, each chamber having an upwardly directed port, a pumprotor on the power shaft sweeping into first one and then the other ofthe chambers to force liquid out through first one and then the other ofthe ports during each revolution of the power shaft, a driven shaftabove and concentric with the power shaft, a piston on the driven shaft,a cylinder surrounding the driven shaft piston, a passage connecting oneof the ports to one side of the driven shaft piston, and a passageconnecting the other of the ports to the other side of the driven shaftpiston.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

